<b><center>May 23: Astros 5, Cubs 1</center></b> Astros starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez held the Cubs to one run on eight hits over seven innings to improve to 4-4 and lower his season ERA to 2.14. less

<b><center>May 23: Astros 5, Cubs 1</center></b> Astros starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez held the Cubs to one run on eight hits over seven innings to improve to 4-4 and lower his season ERA to ... more

Photo: James Nielsen / Chronicle

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Carlos Lee leans back to get out of the way of a pitch.

Carlos Lee leans back to get out of the way of a pitch.

Photo: James Nielsen / Chronicle

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Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney, left, and right fielder David DeJesus collide while fielding a ball hit by the J.D. Martinez during the fourth inning. Martinez reached on a triple.

Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney, left, and right fielder David DeJesus collide while fielding a ball hit by the J.D. Martinez during the fourth inning. Martinez reached on a triple.

Astros first baseman Carlos Lee scores a run off a triple hit by J.D. Martinez during the fourth inning.

Astros first baseman Carlos Lee scores a run off a triple hit by J.D. Martinez during the fourth inning.

Photo: James Nielsen / Chronicle

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Cubs third baseman Joe Mather, left, looks on as J.D. Martinez stops at third base after hitting a triple during the fourth inning.

Cubs third baseman Joe Mather, left, looks on as J.D. Martinez stops at third base after hitting a triple during the fourth inning.

Photo: James Nielsen / Chronicle

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Carlos Lee, left, and teammate Chris Johnson celebrate after scoring off a triple by J.D. Martinez during the fourth inning.

Carlos Lee, left, and teammate Chris Johnson celebrate after scoring off a triple by J.D. Martinez during the fourth inning.

Photo: James Nielsen / Chronicle

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Cubs right fielder David DeJesus, left, and second baseman Darwin Barney collide while fielding a triple by J.D. Martinez during the fourth inning.

Cubs right fielder David DeJesus, left, and second baseman Darwin Barney collide while fielding a triple by J.D. Martinez during the fourth inning.

Photo: James Nielsen / Chronicle

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Astros starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez struck out five Cubs batters.

Astros starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez struck out five Cubs batters.

Photo: James Nielsen / Chronicle

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Astros first baseman Carlos Lee hits a single during the eighth inning.

Astros first baseman Carlos Lee hits a single during the eighth inning.

Photo: James Nielsen / Chronicle

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J.D. Martinez drops his bat after hitting a single as Cubs catcher Koyie Hill, left, looks on during the eighth inning.

J.D. Martinez drops his bat after hitting a single as Cubs catcher Koyie Hill, left, looks on during the eighth inning.

Photo: James Nielsen / Chronicle

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Chris Johnson hits a single during the eighth inning.

Chris Johnson hits a single during the eighth inning.

Photo: James Nielsen / Chronicle

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Jose Altuve, right, winces after being hit by a pitch as the Cubs catcher Koyie Hill left looks down during the eighth inning.

Jose Altuve, right, winces after being hit by a pitch as the Cubs catcher Koyie Hill left looks down during the eighth inning.

Photo: James Nielsen / Chronicle

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Astros starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez throws a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning of MLB game action at Minute Maid Park Wednesday, May 23, 2012, in Houston.
( James Nielsen / Chronicle ) less

Astros starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez throws a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning of MLB game action at Minute Maid Park Wednesday, May 23, 2012, in Houston.
( James Nielsen / Chronicle ... more

Photo: James Nielsen / Chronicle

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<b><center>May 22: Astros 2, Cubs 1</b></center>
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is tripped up by Chicago Cubs David DeJesus as he makes a throw to first for a double play.

<b><center>May 22: Astros 2, Cubs 1</b></center>
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is tripped up by Chicago Cubs David DeJesus as he makes a throw to first for a double play.

On the Astros: Winning mindset is beginning to nudge its way to the surface

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It’s the middle of May, still in the early stages of the new regime’s who-knows-how-many-years rebuilding process, and the Astros might have taken the first step.

This week against the Chicago Cubs, the Astros are acting like a team that’s supposed to win. In taking the three-game series with two wins heading into Wednesday’s finale, they’ve done both things teams that are supposed to win do.

When everything goes right like in the opener, the Astros put away the inferior team fast. And Tuesday night, in a 2-1 victory at Minute Maid Park, even when things didn’t appear to go right for much of the night, they did enough to win.

The Astros, a 106-loss team last year, were expecting to win, and it was hard to argue. Even when the 2-1 lead was at its most harrowing, when the Cubs put speedster Tony Campana 90 feet away with the tying run in the eighth inning, Wilton Lopez had things under control with two strikeouts to strand him.

Even when the offense went hitless from the third batter of the game until a two-out at-bat in the sixth from the absolute wrong guy given recent history, J.D. Martinez turned into the right guy.

It felt, despite the close margin, clear that the better team won this one.

It was exhilaration for Lopez, who shared a fist pump with Chris Snyder from 60 feet apart as both walked off the field. Meanwhile, it was relief for Martinez, who had been 0-for-2 on the evening and 5-for-56 since April 28.

But after Justin Maxwell walked, ending Travis Wood’s night, and Carlos Lee walked with two outs, Martinez stroked one into right field.

“They’ve been behind me and they’ve been pushing me and wanting the best and I was happy I was able to come through tonight,” Martinez said.

That was all they got for J.A. Happ, who was outstanding for the second straight start (a run in six innings after six shutout innings last time) and said he’s getting his confidence back.

The offense amounted to Martinez’s single and a Jose Altuve 418-foot rocket to left-center to lead off the Astros’ first.

“I think that’s all I got,” Altuve said. “I’ve never hit it like that before.”

That was what the bullpen got handed, and that’s what the bullpen made stand up. Four batters for Wesley Wright, four outs and three strikeouts were a nice beginning.

But once Lopez got in, things got dicey. Reed Johnson reached on an infield single, and pinch runner Tony Campana went from first to third on Lopez’s throwing error on a errant pickoff.

As one of the game’s fastest danced off third, Lopez stuck to his ground ball approach, but he would get strikeouts from a pair of dangerous but free-swinging Cubs in Starlin Castro and Alfonso Soriano.

Brett Myers closed it down in the ninth with two strikeouts.

“And the Astros have shown at least in winning two prototype games that they’re better than somebody, and that’s a pretty nice first step toward however many years it takes them to be better than everybody.